Hooray for WA Day 18 Scott Point to Streaky Bay

We took our time packing up this morning after a lovely night being lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves under that wonderful starry sky. I climbed the sandhill nearby and watched the sun rising over the hills and reflecting on the beach further over. The red red sunrise gave a warning of what was to come, but for the moment we enjoyed the lovely blue sky and the white sand as we took a brief drive over the sandhills to the beach beyond.

We took another turn into Fowlers Bay (via a road across the slippery mudflats) to read the information there, admire their jetty, and be blown around. Initially we had thought to try to get a shower there, but when we learned that they still struggle for water we decided to wait a little longer.

We stopped briefly at Penong for Joc to see the growing windmill collection (the official grand opening will be on September 10th).

Then on to Ceduna to have a brief shower at the highway one service station, (on the run on the west side of town) for free!!,fill with considerably cheaper diesel, shop for provisions, and eat fish and chips at the pub for lunch. By the time we left it was after 3 pm, so we decided to stop between Smoky Bay and Streaky Bay at the Acroman Conservation Park. Finally we arrived at a campsite in really good time, and after starting our fire and setting up a shelter (it was starting to rain) we settled in to do a crossword, and have a cup of tea. An hour or so later the rain was steadily falling, puddles were forming and the wind was picking up. The mosquitos were also having an absolute ball. The decision was made to abandon ship due to a good chance of a very unsatisfactory night ahead. We broke the record for putting out a fire (lots of water now available as it bucketed off of the tarp), stuffing the swags all inside the vehicle as best we could, and drove through now very wet roads to Streaky Bay, where we took a cabin for the night.

We are sitting in our cosy cabin, listening to the wind howling outside and the rain tapping on the roof, and thanking our lucky stars for Joc, who suggested the change of plans, and for all of us having the good sense to be willing to change before it was too late. By now we might well have been floating on a large puddle in our cosy little camping basin between hills, and we might have been feeling extremely miserable. Who knows what damage the wind also might have done??
87km/hr winds have been recorded at Thevenard tonight (that is not too far away) and tomorrow might be worse, with gale force winds expected.  We are currently debating whether to move at all tomorrow.

We have enjoyed butter chicken and rice for tea, followed by pancakes and maple syrup with cream cooked in the luxury of the cabin kitchen, instead of over the fire in the pouring rain. We also had some lovely wine to go with it. What a treat! Now to top it off with another hot cuppa without having to boil a billy :)